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(N0 Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T. STREAT. TROLLEY FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented May 28, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2* T. STREAT. TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 403,969. Patented May 28, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATE T DEEICE.

THOMAS STREAT, OF RICIIMQND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDlVARD IVHITLOCK, OF SAME PLACE.

TRO LLEY FO R ELECTRIC RAI LWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,969, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed September 1, I888. Serial No. 284,317. (No model.) i

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known. that I, THOMAS STREAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolleys for Electric Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, respectively, illustrating a trolley embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a like view showing the trolley provided with contact-faces. Figs. 5 and 6 show in side elevation and by an axial section one'of the trolleyguards; and Figs. '7 and 8 are axial sections of the trolley, the latter showing a slight structural modifica tion.

This invention relates to electric railways of that class in which the current is supplied to the dynamos of the car by an overhead wire from a central station or from stations along the line; and it relates more particularly to the means employed for taking off the cur rent from such overhead wire.

The object of this invention is to improve the efficiency of this device, insure proper contact and conductivity while the car is in motion, to prevent the jumping of the trolley off the overhead conductor, and to facilitate the turning out,as with single tracks or the switching from one track to another, or the turning of sharp curves and the passage of any obstruction on or in the overhead line and to these ends the invention consists in the combination, with a trolley, of revoluble guard-arms, and in means for locking said arms against rotation in one direction,substantially as hereinafterfully described, and set forth in the claims.

The invention further consists in structural features and combinations of parts, substantially as herein after described, and as set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, A is a socket or sleeve that is secured to the trolley-rod 13 on the ear, of which red I have only shown part, the transmitting-wire being secured between the rod and socket or sleeve A, or to said socket in any desired or preferred manner to take the current, so called, therefrom. The wire (I is, as usual, properl insulated and connected with the dynamo of the car in a well-known manner.

The trolley-rod 1% is connected to the car in any well-known manner, well-known means being provided to shift the trolley whenever the direction of motion of the car is changed; or said rod may be connected to the car, and means provided to take the trolley off the overhead wire where turn-tables are provided at the end of the route.

To the socket A are secured two bracketarms, I) I), the upper ends of which have bearings Z) I) for the trolley-shaft D, which is preferably made hollow for the reception of the bent arms c of a bail, E, to the loop 6' of which a cord is attached for manipulating the bail from the car to take the trolley off the wire 0, either to shift its position relatively to the car when the direction of motion of said car is reversed or to simply take the trolley off the wire 0 when the car itself is shifted at the end of a line. Such devices, however, form no part of this invention.

On opposite sides of the trolley T is mounted a revoluble guard, G, in the form of a wheel, the juxtaposited or inner faces of which are recessed, as at gator the reception of the rim flanges t of the trolley T. The said guards are also provided with a like recess, g on their outer faces of a depth about equal 10 ,the length of the hub g, such hub being provided with ratchet-teeth, or having a ratchetwheel secured to its hub, with which wheel ongages apawl, I, secured to the bracket-arms b. The outer recess, may, however, be dispensed with and the wheels G constructed with a substantially fiat web, as shown in Fig. 4.

A cord connected with the two pawls P passes into the ear to enable the conductor to disengage the pawls from the ratchei's and allow the guard-wheels to revolve in any direction when this becomes necessary.

The ratchets and pawls are so arranged that the gua1'cl-\\-'l1eels will be free to revolve in a direction the reverse of that in which the car travels, and each guard-wheel G is provided with arms g, radiating therefrom, said arms being preferably constructed with the inclined curved faces g The guard-arms g may form an integral part of the wheels G, or they may be secured thereto in any desired manner, and are in either case of the same conductive material as the wheels G.

The trolley T may be of usual construction, with more or less rounded flanges F, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7; but to insure a more thorough contact between the trolley and the guard-wheels I flatten the periphery of the flanges to form a contact-face, t, and I form a like annular face, i, on the outer side of said flanges, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8.

It will be observed that by means of the described construction'of the guard-wheels G and their combination with the trolley the latter cannot jump the overhead conductor either in turning sharp curves or in turning out, or in switching from one track to another, as the guard-arms will invariably take the wire and guide it to the trolley. 011 the other hand, should an obstruction bemet with, or in passing cross wires, the guardwheels will lift the same off the trolley, and, as they are free to rey olve in a direction the reverse of that in which the car moves, will shed such wire or obstruction, therebybringing the current-wire back onto the trolley.

As the guard-wheels and trolley are made of a conductive material, the moving of the current-wire off the trolley will not interrupt the circuit, which will thus remain closed until the trolley is positively shifted out of contact.

The advantages derived from the construction referred to will be readily appreciated by those conversant with this branch of locomotion.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a trolley for electric railways, of revoluble guard-arms arranged on opposite sides of said trolley, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. Thecombination, with a trolley for-electric railways, of revoluble guard-arms constructed of a conductive material and arranged on opposite sides of said trolley, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with a trolley for electric railways, of revoluble guard-arms arranged on opposite sides of the trolley, and a lock to lock said arms against rotation in one direction, substantially as and for the purposes specified. j

4:. The combination, with the trolley T, of the wheels G, having radial arms and provided with an annular recess for the reception of the flanges of the trolley, and a locking device to lock said wheels against rotation in one direction, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with the trolley T, provided with the contact-faces t t, of the guardwheels G, provided with a recess, g and radial arms g, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

6. The combination of the trolley T, the guard-wheels G, recessed to receive the flanges of the trolley, the ratchets G,eonneeted with said wheels, and the pawls P, connected with the trolley-support, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of t v0 witnesses.

THOMAS STREAT. v

WVitn esses:

A. C. JOHNSTON, M. J. STRAUs. 

